Vehicle-headlight control



l. W. WHITE.

l VEHICLE HEADLIGHT CONTROL.

l Y APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 1920. A1,400.1 1 7.. Patented Dev 13, 19:21.4

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Figi 6W 2 I. W. WHITE.

VEHICLE HEADLIGHT CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 7. 1920.

1,400, 1 1 '7. Patented Dee. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QIIIIIIIIIIIIIW- l :ff I: "f3 s z2 6 SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII- @H701 ma@ UNITED STATES PATENT ortica.

.ToniaY WESLEY Wnrrn, on nnwisrown, MONTANA Y i Specification of Lettersllatent.

VEHICLE-IIEADLIGHT CONTR-0L.

Patented Dee. 13, 1921.

Application filed October 7, 1920. Serial No. {l1-5,414.

' To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, J'onN WESLEY Wnirn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewistown, in the county of Fergus and State of Montana, have invented certain Vnew and useful Improvements in Vehicle Headlight Controls, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to `an improvement in headlight control for vehicles, Vwherein the headlights may be individually gov'- erned at the will of the driverto indicatev a contemplated movement ofthe vehicle.

The present invention is directed to mount-`v ing the headlights for turning at the will of the driver and -inaccordance with a coiitem# plated turnof the vehicle, the operated headlight heingheld'in turned position until the turning operationof the automobilefis in'.

itia-ted, whereupon Vsuch turned headlightis automatically released'an'dfreturned to' normal position.` Y Y VThrough the VVuse ofl such a system, lthe driver can indicate toA approaching vehicles, pedestrians, andl traflic oflicers contem1 plated turn, and'thus the time and trouble incident to the prevalent-hand signaling is avoided, to say -nothing ofV affording the driver better control' over the-vehicle through the use of both hands. In closedcars, where hand signaling is diflicult if not impossible locking means.

the improved system will he found most effective. l v The invention is .illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein L- A 4'Figure 1 'is a front elevation illustrating the mounting of the headlights for Athe pur-V poses of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a Vview in side elevation illustrating theV operating means forrthe headlights.

F ig. k3 is a plan of the same. p

Fig. .4 is a view in front elevationofthe Fig. i5 isan enlarged top plan of the same. the wedges being broken off at th ends to show the'disk enlargements.'

Fig. 6 is a section through theflocking means. y

In the accompanying drawings, 1 Vrepresents the usual headlights,which for the Vpuri poses of this invention are secured uponthe upper ends of hollow standards, preferably turned forwardly Vati the upper ends. The standards 2 are mounted in cylindrical 'supports 3, secured to the vehicle at `the lower ends, andbraced at the upper ends through rods 4; secured to said supports and to the wheel fenders, and an intermediate rod 5, between and Xed to both supports. The standards 2 pass through upper and lower caps 6 on the respective ends of the standard supports 3, and within said supports are secured to one end of a coil spring 7, the opposite end of which is secured to the support. The springs 7 are tensioned to normally hold the headlights in normal, that is straight-ahead positions, any turning movement of the headlights placing the springs under tension tending to return the headlight so turned to normal.

rIphe lower ends of the standards 2 extend belowthe supports 3, and are provided with lateral arms 8, for connection with suitable operating means. A shaft 9 is mounted transverse the` frame of thevehicle below and in rear of the usual removable footboard (notshow'n) and one end of this shaft is provided with an integral arm 10, connected-by a connection 11`to the arm 8 of one headlight. A sleeve 12v is rotatably supported on the shaft 9 at the end opposite thearmflO, such sleeve being provided with an arm 13, connected as at 14 to the arm 8 of the other headlight. Thus through turning movement of the shaft 9 or sleeve 12, the vparticular headlight may be turned as desired to indicate a contemplated turn of the vehicle; Of course the headlights are capable of turning in one direction each through the connections described, that is the right-hand headlight may -be turned toward the right, while the left headlight may be turned toward the left.

A foot pedal 15, with an operative end extended through the Hoor of the vehicle within convenient reach ofY the driver` is secured on the shaft 9, so that on depression of such pedal'the'shaft, and therefore the headlight connected Vthereto will be turned. A similarfoot-pedal .16 is connected to the sleeve 12, to correspondingly operate the other headlight. Bothpedals are provided at their pivotal' ends with disk enlargements, as 17 and 18, whichenlargements are serrated on one face, as at 19.

A locking means is provided to hold an operated pedal in operated position, such comprising sleeve members 20, 21 loosely encircling the shaft 9 between the'pedals 15 andl, and held against rotation through key 22 secured to the underside of the ioor of the vehicle, though such sleeve ineinbers are freely slidable lengthwise the shaft Y 9. The ends of the sleeve members are Thus with either pedal operated the ser-y v rated end portion thereof will override the coacting disk portion of the particular sleeve member, and such pedal, and therefore the headli, g'ht, will be held in the operated position.

A release Vpedal 28 is pivotally connected vto the floor of the vehicle in rear of the holding means, and has its operative .end extended through the oor of the vehicle,

preferably between the pedals 15 andv16.V

Rods 29 and 30 are connected to the release pedal and to the respective disk portions 24 and 25, so that on operation of the re# Y lease pedal the operated pedals for turning the headlights are released, and the headlight or headlights permitted `to return to normal position through the operating spring 7.-

It is of importance, however, thatmeans be provided whereby the operated headlight may be automatically released in the turning operation of the vehicle, as having signaled such an intention, the use oi the sigf` nal may be dispensed Withwhen the vehicle is operated to make the turn. v c Such automatic release means must of course be controlled through the steering` mechanism, so that as such mechanism is `operated to turn the vehicle, the headlight signaling such'turn may be permitted to re-V turn to normal. For'this purpose a lever 31 is pivotally mounted at 31 on the underside `of the vehicle Hoor, and on each side of l said pivot the lever is pivotallyv Vconnected with bars, as 32, 33, whichare each provided with= oppositely acting wedge blocks 34, 35. These blocks, in the movement of the lever in one direction or the otheriwll move between the disk portions of the holding sleeveand the serrated end portions of the levers, and force the disk vportions to a position Vto release the foot pedals held in operated position. sired, and as contemplated, the disk portions of the holding sleeves and the Aserrated ends o the foot pedals maybe cut away, as at 36 to permit operation of the wedge blocks.

The end of lever` 31 is connected by; a iieXible connection 36 with an arm 37 projecting `from the steering post 38, so that in operation of such post to turn the vehicle, the heretofore'operated pedalwill be released. A spring 39 connected to the lever 31 and to the vehicle frame operates the lever 31 inthe opposite direction with the same release effect, in the opposite turning movement of the steering post.

The connection 36 may be led in any Vconvenient Way to accomplish thev object sou ht beine iven a return over uide pulleys in the event the operation of a par? ticular type of steering construction. Y Y,

-lt is apparent from the above description post requires such that from the above construction, the Vhead- Y light indicating a contemplated turn may,

be operated by the driver and locked in such position untilvreleased Vthrough the operation of the` release pedal, orautomatically released through the start of the turning movement of the vehicle. Thus the headlights are in edect used as a signaling,k

`means, and are always in normal positions except when used for thevpurposedescribed. The variousparts of the structure can be readily placedv on any motor car, .andsuch parts Vwhen/arranged as described will in no wise interfere with any other operating parts, nor be in the way when Vsuch other parts are to be reached( for repair or adjustment.' f Y' Having thusdescribed the invention, what is claimed as new, is o f 1; Dirigible head lights, a foot pedal `for turningl each head light top-signal a contemplated turn of the vehicle, automatic locking means `for securing an operated pedal inV operated position, and a single ,pedalto release all operated pedals at will. Y

72. Dirigible head lights, foot pedals for i turning same, independent vmeans for looking each operated foot pedal in operated position, a steering post, means for release actuation of both voi? saidA locking'means in movement of the steering postfin one direction, andan independent element for actuating the locking means lto-release the pedals in movement of the the ,opposite direction. c

3. Dirigible head lights, a foot pedal for turning each head light, a locking means for each operated pedal 'when in operated position, means for releasing said lockingmeans, a steering post, a connection from the post to actuate said locking release means in movement of the post in one direction, and a spring for ,operating the locking release means in the movement of the steering post in the opposite direction.

4. Dirigible headlights, foot pedals for turning same, each of said pedals having vsteering post in serrated disk ends, sleeve portions havingy disk portions to engageV said serrated disk ends, whereby in the operation ofv a pedal the cooperation of its disk end with .thev disk portion ofthe sleeve will hold said pedal in operated position, anda pedal to operate such sleeves to disengage'the disk portions thereof from the disk ends of the pedals to release the pedals.

5. Dirigible headlights, foot pedals connected to such headlights to turn the same, serrated disk ends on the pedals, sleeve members having serrated disk portions to engage the pedal disk ends to hold the pedals in operated position, a wedge member to release such connection, and a connection between such wedge member andthe steering post of the vehicle, whereby to release an operated pedal in the operation of the steering post.

6. Dirigible headlights, foot pedals connected therewith, holding means for the pedals when operated, wedge means for releasing the holding means, a connection between said wedge means and the steering post for operating said wedge means in aotuation of the steering ost in one direction, and a spring for opera ing the wedge means in another direction of turning movement of the steering post.

7 Dirigible headlights, a foot pedal connected to each headlight for turning the same in one direction, holding means for an operated foot pedal, a lever, double Wedge means carried by the lever to release the holding means in movement of the lever in either direction, a connection between the lever and steering post of the vehicle to 0perate the lever in one direction in movement of the post in one direction, and a spring for operating the lever in the opposite direction in the movement of the post in the opposite direction.

In testimonywhereof I aiiix my si nature.

JOHN WESLEY WIITE. 

